Rodrigo Bentancur: Tottenham midfielder banned for seven matches over racial slur about Son Heung-min

Tottenham's midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has received a seven-match suspension from domestic play imposed by the Football Association for allegedly making a racial remark regarding his teammate Son Heung-min.

Bentancur, who received a £100,000 penalty and is required to attend a compulsory in-person educational program, was hit with charges from the FA in September. This came after remarks he made during a television appearance in Uruguay back in June.

An FA statement said, "Rodrigo Bentancur refuted the allegation, but after a hearing, the independent regulatory commission confirmed its validity and issued penalties accordingly."

The 27-year-old won't be back on the field for domestic games until December 26. This means he will miss Premier League matches against teams like Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, as well as Tottenham's League Cup quarter-final against Manchester United.

He will continue to be part of Tottenham's Europa League games.

Bentancur has made 15 appearances for Tottenham this season and found the back of the net for the first time in their loss to Ipswich on November 11.

The event took place during his own era, and since he was playing in England, it came under the FA's authority—unlike the case with Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez.

Fernandez was representing his country when he shared a video that the French Football Federation (FFF) claimed featured a purportedly "racist and discriminatory" chant during Argentina's celebrations for their Copa America victory. As a result, FIFA, the global governing body for soccer, is looking into the matter.

While charging the player from Uruguay, the FA stated it was "a supposed violation of FA rule E3 regarding inappropriate behavior connected to a media interview."

The FA stated that this was considered a "more serious violation... because it contained a mention, either directly or indirectly, of someone's nationality, race, or ethnic background."

During the interview with the media, when a presenter inquired about a Tottenham shirt, Bentancur responded, "Is it Sonny's? It might also belong to Sonny's cousin since they all resemble each other."

He later took to social media to express his regret and described his remarks as a "terrible joke."

Bentancur also apologized to South Korean striker Son, who stated that it was never his intention to say anything hurtful.

On Monday, while representing Wales, Ben Davies was questioned about the suspension. He mentioned that the team had "left it behind" and focused on moving forward.

He emphasized, "In the end, we must recognize that these matters require the attention and seriousness they deserve."

Bentancur's offense could lead to a suspension ranging from six to twelve matches. In their official statement, the FA noted that the player requested for the issue to be resolved solely through written submissions.

In response to the accusation made by Tottenham regarding Bentancur, a statement was made: "Rodrigo’s comment was sarcastic and offered a lighthearted admonition to the journalist for referring to Sonny as 'the Korean'."

Rodrigo doesn't think that all Koreans "look pretty similar." It's evident from the conversation that he's being sarcastic. He was pushing back against the journalist's portrayal of his teammate on the club.

It was also argued that Bentancur's apology regarding his remarks was "not about the content of his statements, but rather about the poor coverage of the interview that left out" the host's mention of Son as "the Korean."

The panel determined that Bentancur's behavior, particularly in the way he expressed himself, was undeniably offensive and disrespectful. They found that it constituted misconduct when considering the complete context of his statements.

They discovered that his apologies seemed to indicate that he recognized he had offended others. Additionally, a statement from Spurs in response to his apologies suggests that the team's management acknowledged that the player’s comments were clearly insulting, abusive, and discriminatory.

The panel stated that they could not accept Bentancur's submission because it contradicts the evidence and does not align with the player's apologies or the reactions of THFC or Son Heung-min.

When deciding on the punishment, the independent regulatory commission acknowledged that Bentancur had no prior infractions and did not intend to cause harm. They noted that even though arguments presented on his behalf seemed to diminish the impact of his initial apology, they still believed his regret was sincere, both then and now.

It stated, "Considering everything, we believe that regarding responsibility and outcomes, this violation is on the lower end of the guideline range, but not at the very bottom."

The anti-discrimination organization Kick It Out expressed its approval of the decision to hold Bentancur responsible for his use of a racial slur.

"Many reports were filed with Kick It Out about the incident at the time," the statement mentioned. "It emphasizes that abuse aimed at players of East and Southeast Asian descent not only harms those directly involved but also has a ripple effect on fans and the broader community."

"We all need to acknowledge and inform others about this kind of discrimination whenever we encounter it."

We wanted to hear your thoughts on the punishment given to Bentancur and its potential impact on Tottenham.

Here’s a selection of your feedback:

Daniel: I think a seven-match suspension is quite severe, and I believe many would concur with that. We'll really feel his absence since he's been one of our standout players this season. However, we do have a solid alternative in Yves Bissouma, and he’ll need to rise to the occasion now.

Den: The remarks he made were not the responsibility of the fans or the club, and they occurred while he was representing his country. While it was appropriate to impose a financial penalty and provide some learning opportunities, the consequences seem excessive.

Matt: He shouldn't have made those comments. Not only is it inappropriate, but if I spoke like that, I would be fired from my job. He should count himself fortunate that his penalty is just a seven-match suspension. The consequences for racism in football are utterly ridiculous.

Andrew: I completely agree with the decision to ban him. As a public figure, he's promoting a silly stereotype, and it's important to set an example (even though I'm a Spurs fan).

Dave: The offensive stereotype Bentancur employed was terrible, and I can’t really dispute the penalty he received. He did apologize promptly, which I think may have helped lessen the severity of the punishment. Unfortunately, the entire club and its supporters, including Son, are now affected by this, which feels a bit unjust. However, just a fine wouldn’t have sufficed.